Spain and Georgia will clash for the U18 Men's Rugby Europe Championship title, a replay of the last three editions' finals, while the Netherlands and Czechia will compete for the bronze.
Portugal and Belgium will contend for 5th place, and Germany and Poland will face off for 7th and 8th, with the tournament concluding this coming Saturday.
Belgium triumphant over Germany
Belgium and Germany kicked off the second round of the U18s Rugby Europe Championship, with the U18 Diables Noirs cruising to the 5th-place playoff after beating their neighbours and rivals 53-7.
Unfortunately for the Germans, Belgium managed to dominate the set-piece from the get-go and put their first points on the board in the eighth minute, with Melvyn Labaere successfully kicking between the posts.
Despite the German opposition locking Belgium out of their try area until the 17th minute, the dam eventually gave way, with no. 8 Ludovic Dero scoring the game's first try. They went on to score three more finishes, going into the break with a 29-0 lead.
In the 10 minutes following the break, Germany enjoyed their best spell of the match, even managing a try through Elfric Bidder, who brushed aside a few tacklers before reaching the whitewash. Germany also converted their fifth try and went on to score three more before the final whistle, with Melvyn Labaere finishing as the game’s top point scorer, contributing 13 points from the tee.
Lobos bounce back against Poland
After a disappointing defeat against the Netherlands, Portugal regained their footing and claimed a 33-7 win over Poland to reach the 5th-place playoff final.
The U18 Lobos representatives began building their lead before the 10th minute, as Raphael Oliveira dotted in the corner after a successful combo with his hooker, João Paredes. From then on, Portugal never relinquished their lead, with fly-half Duarte Oliveira adding five points from the tee before the match official sent both teams to a 15-minute rest.
Poland scored their consolation try from lock Bartosz Cisak four minutes into the second half, but the Portuguese kept their focus and immediately hit back with two finishes of their own, both grounded by João Paredes, who put in a stunning performance.
The Polish side were close to scoring a few more points, but a string of handling errors and Portugal's juggernaut defence denied them that goal. Raphael Oliveira, with a second finish, and Sebastião Vasconcelos wrapped up the U18 Lobos' 34-7 win, now with a chance at a 5th-place finish.
Lelos survive dramatic finish
The Netherlands came close to clinching one of the biggest upsets in recent years, fighting to the end for a win over Georgia as the Lelos survived a last-minute driving maul to secure a 24-19 win and qualification for the final.
The former champions enjoyed a sensational start, scoring their first try three minutes in when Saba Merebasvhili powered over the line, with Luka Tchakua slotting in the extras. However, the Netherlands instantly swung back, forcing the Georgian defence into a heavy penalty sequence that led to a penalty try.
Despite their scrum dominance, the Lelos' indiscipline proved costly at times, allowing the Dutch opposition to stay in the contest until the very last second of the clash. Even so, the Georgians took the lead again thanks to a cunning carry by fullback Luka Tchakua and added their third finish 3 minutes before the break, from hooker Giorgi Berdzenshvili.
Although Georgia secured their fourth try shortly after the game resumed, taking a 24–7 lead, no one was prepared for what would follow over the next 35 minutes. The Dutch, with everything still to play for, went after their dream; within 25 minutes, they had all but erased the Georgian lead, thanks to two spectacular finishes from Lucas Pereira Roders that brought them within a converted try to get the lead for the first time.
With 3 minutes to the full-time whistle, the Dutch gave their best shot and were just a few inches from the Georgian in-goal area. Unfortunately for them, their driving maul met the full Georgian embrace, leaving the match official, Paddy Bateman, with no choice but to award a scrum and blow the final whistle.
Champions are final bound
Czechia fought valiantly, but the reigning champions were too good in the end, as Spain landed a 38-24 win to qualify for the final once more!
The hosts held strong for more than 12 minutes, pushing back the Spanish opposition several times. However, after losing two players to the sin-bin, Czechia conceded a try from a driving maul, with César Triviño steering the Spanish forward pack to glory.
Although Markos Michopulos cut the opposition's lead to 4 points after converting a long-range penalty kick, the U18 Los Leones found their way to the Czech in-goal area in the following minutes. Guzmán Vinuesa, with a masterful overhead kick, propelled Roger Mendizabal for the centre to bag a try of his own.
In the last ten minutes before the break, both contestants banked a try each with Spain leading 19-10 at half-time.
Emboldened by a strong first opening half, Czechia went in pursuit of a win and snagged their second thanks to a brutal carry from Matouš Borecky.
However, Spain didn't leave fate to chance and put on quite the show to regain full control of the game. In the 53rd minute, Malakai Hafoka broke through the defensive line and dived over to further extend his side’s lead, and Martí Homar followed shortly after, scoring from an unstoppable 10-meter driving maul.
Álvaro Martínez claimed Spain's sixth before Borecky bagged a brace, concluding an entertaining 38-24 affair that saw Spain qualify for the final.
